I Don't Believe You
by catastrophe86
Summary: Her cold and conservative nature keeps her from seeing the truth; will she ever be able to admit her true feelings for one Rachel Berry? Faberry pairing. Let me know what you think!
1. Damn you, Quinn Fabray

**I Don't Believe You - Glee**

Pairing: Faberry  
Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
Summary: SHABOOYA! :D not really sure. This story kinda picks up where Silly Love Songs ended... well, a week or so after that anyway. This is the story of how Quinn comes to terms with her feelings for Rachel... which should be made a part of the actual show :D

****Shout out to SaneTwin1-2, my lovely beta reader, thank you so much. You and your sister have been awesome with me :)****

Enjoy!

**Chapter 1 - Damn you, Quinn Fabray**

* * *

_[Mr. Schuester's apartment; Saturday night]_

"Well, I still think he is."

"No way!"

"You _don't know_ that."

A loud sigh could be heard from the entrance of the room. "Guys, how did this get to be a discussion about everyone's sexuality?" Mr. Schue asked as he walked in with a fresh bowl of popcorn, "We're supposed to be deciding on our set-list for regionals!"

"Calm down, Mr. Schue, we've got all night," Mercedes intervened, "It's not like it's a school night." The choir director started to argue, but she cut him off. "You should've known better than to invite a bunch of hormonal teenagers to your apartment on the weekend!" she finished in true diva fashion while she grabbed the bowl of popcorn out of his hand. The man sighed again before plopping down in his armchair, defeated.

"And what makes you think he _is_, Berry?" Santana continued, practically snarling, "Karofsky is on the _football _team. There is no _way_-"

"-What does him being on the football team have to do with anything?" one of the other former cheerios interjected.

"_Exactly_. Thank you, Quinn." Rachel started again, "And as for your question, Santana, I believe that my own standing within the gay community, seeing as I am the only person in this room with two parents of the same sex, _more_ than qualifies me to make such a bold claim." She paused for dramatic effect while she slowly gazed around the room, making sure each pair of eyes was on her. "Karofsky bats for the home team," she finished, "I have _excellent _gaydar."

Santana scoffed while several other groans filled the room, "_Ugh_, please. You having two gay dads only means _you_ are gay, _manhands_." Several bouts of laughter rose at that while the petite diva gasped.

"Well, _you _are one to talk, Santana," Rachel huffed, "Just because you and Brittany aren't a _thing _anymore doesn't mean we've all forgotten it."

The Latina rolled her eyes, "Sing a new tune, RuPaul, this one is outdated. Everyone here _knows_ that I just like to fu-"

"_LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-_" Mr. Schue jumped up and ran to the kitchen while covering his ears. Several more chuckles rose at that.

"You can _say_ sex isn't dating all you want to, but it doesn't change the fact that you _clearly _enjoy the company of women," the smaller brunette interjected triumphantly.

Santana rolled her eyes again before crossing her arms over her chest and sitting back. "Whatever," she dismissed.

Quinn had been watching the exchange with an amused smirk before deciding she should stick up for her abrasive friend. "And what about you, Berry?" hazel eyes turned to set on the now dumbstruck diva, "I didn't hear you deny anything."

Rachel's mouth fell open. "I- uh- well…" a few chuckles erupted at the diva's loss of words. She huffed at them, flustered, before turning back to her accuser. "As I'm sure you are aware, Quinn, I was raised with the belief that love does not come with a gender, and therefore-"

The blonde coughed trying to cover up her own amusement as she stood to go refill her cup. "Rachel's bisexual," she concluded flippantly, walking towards the kitchen while everyone fell out in laughter at what she could only imagine was Rachel's flabbergasted expression.

Quinn chuckled to herself softly as she wandered into the kitchen to refill her soda. Mr. Schue was sitting at the table.

"Is Santana finished talking about her… extra-curricular activities?"

The blonde gave the man a small, sympathetic smile. "Yes, it's safe for you to come out now."

He let out a sigh of relief as they both filed back into the living room where a few gleeks were still chuckling. Rachel, however, had shrunken back into her seat and was currently grumbling about something under her breath. The former Cheerio had to fight back her smirk to keep it from growing into a full blown smile. The tiny brunette could just be so cute at times. Quinn grimaced inwardly at the thought and tried to shake it off as she sat back down.

Mr. Schue clapped his hands together to get their attention, "Okay! Now that we're done discussing sexual preferences, let's get down to business!"

* * *

_[the following Monday morning at WMHS]_

"Ugh, give me some Tylenol."

A single blonde eyebrow lifted as Quinn examined her dark haired friend slouched against the lockers next to her. Santana had definitely seen better days. The Latina looked different without her uniform on. Her brown hair fell on her shoulders in messy tangles _barely _detracting attention from her shabby street clothes… which may or may not be clean. The former blonde cheerleader wrinkled her nose before focusing back on her books.

"And what were _you_ up to last night?" she asked, picking out the books she'd need for her next class.

"Getting drunk," Santana's eyes drifted down the hallway, "By myself… my head is killing me now." Quinn shook her head before reaching into her purse to pull out the Tylenol the Latina requested. "Thank you."

The blonde watched her friend throw back the pills before speaking, "You shouldn't do that, you know… drink alone."

"I know," the Latina slouched back against the lockers again, wrapping her arms around herself, "I'm just so _bored_ now. Maybe we shouldn't have quit the Cheerios."

Quinn chuckled lowly, "No, that woman definitely got what was coming to her." She focused back on her books, "Besides… now we don't have to drink that nasty 'Sue Sylvester Master Cleanse' concoction anymore."

"Or be at school at the crack of dawn," the brunette added thoughtfully.

"Or fight over who gets to be the HBIC," the blonde threw her a soft smile.

The Latina sighed, "Okay, you're right. I just… I don't know." Hazel eyes slid over to her friend while she shut her locker and leaned against it, ready to listen. "Be_fore_, I had a place in this school – I had a _purpose_." Santana shrugged, "Now I don't belong anywhere."

"That's not true," Quinn offered quietly, "We still have Glee."

Santana grumbled, "Right, of course. How could I forget?" They pushed off the wall and walked over to the brunette's locker in silence. The Latina paused as she started dialing her combination, "Do you think what Berry said last night was true?" She met Quinn's gaze before opening her locker, "About Karofsky?"

Quinn leaned back against the lockers, focusing on the opposite wall while she deliberated her answer. "It kind of makes sense," she shrugged. Santana glanced at her. "I mean, he's never had a girlfriend," she pondered aloud, "And it sort of explains why he was always on Kurt the way he was."

The brunette's brow furrowed, "How does him beating up Kurt every day make him gay?"

"_Think about it_, San," she started, fixing her heated gaze on the Latina, "If he was holding back these repressed feelings of homosexuality because it's _not _accepted by the majority of our class, _wouldn't_ he lash out at the _one_ person in this school who represents everything he's supposed to hate? Kurt never did _anything _to him. Karofsky had _plenty_ of victims to choose from, but he _fixated_ on the one gay student we had." The blonde paused before returning her attention back to the other set of lockers, "Perhaps he felt threatened," she shrugged.

It was silent for a long moment before the Latina finally spoke up. "Well… you _know…_" she started mischievously, "the same thing could be said about _you_." She held a knowing smirk when she felt the blonde's eyes return to her. The brunette took her time unloading her books before continuing, "After all, you _did_ torment Treasure Trail _relentlessly_ for the past several years… One could say that your unprecedented torture of the little dwarf is really just you _'lashing_ out' because of your '_repressed_ feelings of _homosexuality_.'"

"Do you even _know_ what 'unprecedented' means?"

"I'm _sorry_," the Latina cupped her hand around her ear and leaned in towards her friend so that she could listen closely, "Is that _denial _I hear?"

The blonde scoffed, "You know, I wasn't the _only _one who relentlessly tortured that dwarf you're speaking of."

The Latina shrugged it off while she shut her locker, taking her time before she turned to her blonde companion. "I'm not denying anything," she smirked while she pulled her backpack over her shoulder before walking off, "The little diva can be kinda _hot_ when she's all flustered."

Quinn was left there gaping behind her.

* * *

Rachel fingered the gold star around her neck while she stood absently in front of her locker. Thoughts of recent events had plagued her mind lately and she was beginning to have trouble concentrating on the tasks at hand. There was just too much. A part of her was still reeling at the fact that Kurt had transferred schools, and that happened _weeks_ ago. Since then they'd tied at sectionals, Finn had broken her heart… again, they'd won a football championship _and_ temporarily recruited the football team for a killer Thriller number.

All of that was on the backburner, though, compared to her thoughts recently.

Both Finn and Quinn had caught Mono for Valentine's Day the week before… from kissing. Granted, Finn was holding the Kissing Booth as a fundraiser for New Directions, but her sixth sense told her it was more than that. Finn had kissed plenty of girls that day, why was Quinn the only one to catch it? Did he actually kiss her on the mouth instead of on the cheek like he had with Rachel? The diva was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear anyone approaching.

"I thought the Star of David had six points," Mercedes' voice carried over her shoulder.

She glanced over at her sister diva, forcing a smile to her lips before turning back to her books. "It does, Finn gave me this," she tried to keep the pain out of her voice, "It was a belated Christmas present. You know how I feel about gold stars." She shot the other girl a teasing wink.

Mercedes laughed at that, "Oh yes, I do… So, a present, huh?" Rachel could tell by her tone that she was channeling her inner gossip queen; she decided to end the rumors before any could begin.

"Yes, but not like that," Rachel interjected solemnly, "It was more like a parting gift than anything."

"Oh," the other diva spoke softly, "I'm sorry."

The tiny brunette shrugged, "I'm over it."

Mercedes let out a snort of a laugh, "_Are_ you now?"

She sighed, "_Yes_, if you must know." She turned to her friend strengthened by her newfound resolve, "You were right last week… We're better off alone. At least this way I can concentrate on my music rather than stupid boys constantly breaking my heart."

The taller diva nodded in agreement while readjusting her bookbag, "You go, girl. I'll see you in Glee, okay?" She gave the brunette a fist bump before heading down the hallway.

Rachel smiled and nodded before taking off in the opposite direction. She would be okay. She had gone years without friends, much less a boyfriend. She could do this. And so what if he and Quinn kissed? She grimaced thinking about it, sure, but it was just because she didn't want her friend to get hurt again… right?

She really wished she could stop thinking about it. Obsessing over it was only going to get her into trouble… literally.

Right as she rounded the corner she bumped head first into a solid form, dropping her books and sheet music along the way. Fortunately the person she ran into didn't seem to be carrying anything.

"Oh, I am _so_ sorry," she said as she knelt down to quickly gather her things, "I've been so distracted lately I haven't been able to focus on what's in front of me. You know, you'd think after so many of these incidences have occurred the school board would eventually put in some traffic lights or something." She chuckled nervously when the other person remained silent. Feeling anxious the tiny diva sneaked a peek at the person's shoes.

Conservative, open toed heels… formal and dressy… so totally _not_ her style.

Rachel gulped audibly before she timidly glanced up at her human barrier and found a pair of swirling hazel eyes glaring down at her.

_Of course_, she thought.

Clearing her throat, she quickly stood up, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders. Kneeling down in the floor at the girl's feet had made her feel even more vulnerable in front of the intimidating blonde than she already did. Straightening up didn't help much, though, as Quinn still towered over her, her manicured hands settling on her hips in a domineering fashion while she quirked a lone brow at the brunette cowering in front of her. Rachel fought to keep the fear out of her expression.

"Quinn," she started softly, raising her chin with false bravado, "I do apologize. I'm sure you can see that it was just an accident. I'm afraid the number of accidental deaths amongst teens has risen at an _exponential _rate in the last decade despite our school's valiant effort to promote health and safety in all our endeavors, however fortunately in our case no one was hurt and there is no permanent damage to books or wardrobe." She couldn't stop herself from swallowing thickly as the honey haired girl continued to stare at her. "Please don't slushie me," she finished lowly as she prepared for the verbal berating that was sure to follow.

The blonde froze at that… not that she was moving much to begin with. But as Rachel watched, the hazel eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her while the corners of her lips twitched slowly upward into her famous Fabray smirk. Rachel didn't know whether to feel relieved or terrified.

"At ease, Berry," the blonde spoke softly, almost sweetly, as she gently side stepped the brunette to continue on her way down the hall. "I'm not going to hurt you," the words were only but a whisper over her shoulder while the former Cheerio left her presence, but the impact of what she said was startling. The diva was almost certain she hadn't heard anything at all… it was simply her imagination. But the ghost of a breath she felt along her cheek led her to believe otherwise as a shiver suddenly crawled up her spine leaving her in a hot mess of nerves.

_What was that?_

The brunette swallowed hard attempting to regain her composure while she tried to figure out her body's reaction to what just happened. Her heart was still pounding in her chest and her breath was coming in short, erratic gasps. The blonde terrified her, sure, but there was something off...

She quickly placed a hand over her heart to try to contain it, her pulse racing underneath her fingertips. That was normal. She took a few even breaths, filling her lungs and slowly releasing it – that was normal, too.

_But why am I trembling?_

Before she could find an answer to her own question, the shrill sound of the bell yanked her out of her thoughts, telling her she was late for her first class. She quickly took off down the hallway.

_Ugh… damn you, Quinn Fabray_.

* * *

**A/N: I wanna continue with this story, but I'll need some encouragement :) Let me know what you think!**


	2. Quinn's Journal

[Quinn's journal]

_Rachel __**Berry**__._

_One could say she's the most wanted girl in school, outside of me, Santana, and Brittany, of course… the outspoken diva with an affinity for stealing my boyfriends._

_There was once a time when no one knew her name. She was still the same ambitious singer she is today, but no one paid her any mind. No one noticed the tiny brunette striding down the halls with some hidden purpose in her step, so full of talent that no one was willing to take note of – I miss those days._

_Back then, the only people who knew her were the ones who slushied her… myself included. Even Karofsky didn't know her name; he only slushied her because I asked him to. Times were simple then. The social hierarchy was in full effect: everyone was in their own place. Of course it was only an amount of time before the petite diva made herself heard… and who _knew_ how many people would eventually stop to listen. _

_Finn was the first; my steady boyfriend and the "father" of my unborn child. Granted, the child wasn't really his, but it doesn't change the circumstances. At the _time_ he believed he was the father… but he still drifted towards her. The giant oaf, how dare he?_

_Then Puck came into the picture. I'm not sure I ever really understood what was going on there. For Puck, it was probably just because Rachel was a warm body… but for reasons I'm sure I'll never understand, the juvenile delinquent still has a soft spot for the girl even today._

_And lastly there was the whole Jesse St. James debacle. I still have mixed feelings about that. I didn't know the guy… he didn't go to our school so technically I couldn't blame him for having such horrid tastes. However, I _still _didn't like him. He was almost like the male version of Rachel herself. Blech._

_Outside of boyfriends, though, she's also gathered a good handful of friends. They're all from Glee, of course, but they even hang out outside of practice now… or so I've heard. Who knew Mercedes would take such a liking to the annoying girl? Kurt as well. I could've sworn they would have more sense than that, but apparently not. Tina and Artie I could understand; before Glee, they didn't really have any friends themselves. Even Brittany claims Rachel as a friend now._

_But the most shocking of all I found out only earlier today… Santana Lopez… may or may not have shown interest in getting into Rachel Berry's pants._

_**WHAT?**_

_What is going __**on**__ with everyone lately? Have they secretly formed some Rachel Berry fan club? Do they meet after school to watch Funny Girl, eat kosher, non-dairy snacks, and sing show tunes in their animal sweaters until their voices give out?_

_What is __**wrong**__ with the world today?_

_I liked it better when no one knew her name. _

_I liked it better when no one had ever heard her sing. _

_I liked it better when no one wanted her._

_It doesn't make sense to me. I mean, the girl is _highly _irritating. The way she can never give you a simple answer; she always rambles on for ages, using complex sentence structures complete with scholarly vocabulary words that the rest of the club cannot keep up with. She's self-_centered_… which makes sense considering she's determined to be a star one day, but _that _is center of her ENTIRE world – "Me, me me," "MY solos," "MY stardom," "BlahBlahBlah." – nothing else exists. The way she dresses also leaves something to be desired. I never used to have a problem with argyle – I even liked it at some point in time – but she wears it every. single. day. And not just on her shirt. Sometimes it's even on her knee high socks… which, at one point in time, _may _have been cute, but now it's just grotesque. And there's no need to mention the fact that she's an attention whore. Granted, that probably stems from her desire to be a star, but it doesn't make her any less annoying. I doubt she ever really cared for Finn. She simply threw herself at him because he was the star quarterback and he showed her an ounce of attention. Stupid girl._

_She was even annoying when she was a kid, if I recall correctly. I remember we played in our school's production of Annie together. She was Annie, of course, though she really didn't fit the role… physically. She was always so tiny; back then she looked even more fragile than she does now. But Annie was supposed to be one of the __older__ girls… in other words __taller__… that didn't matter, though; Rachel still got the part. I played the part of one of her friends. We were in practically every scene together, except for when she was at "Daddy Warbuck's" mansion. We huddled together on the bed while we waited for Mrs. Hannigan's tirade to end, we danced around each other while we were forced to clean the bathrooms… stuff like that._

_The part was easy enough for me to play, but Rachel didn't really fear me then like she does now. Nowadays when we meet face to face, she gets all fidgety and nervous. I'm proud to say that even though she feels more comfortable at school now with her newfound friends, she's still afraid of me… as she should be. _

_But back then she looked at me differently… _

_Her eyes were always wide, and maybe a bit… hopeful? I guess she didn't know the difference between acting and real life. That didn't stop her from clinging to me, though. Every rehearsal she'd get a little braver: she'd scoot just a little bit closer to me on the bed or she'd hug me just a little bit tighter before she left the orphanage. Granted, I never really discouraged the interaction, but I was acting… that's what actors do!_

_Okay, so I'll admit that _maybe_ I didn't find her so annoying back then. Her girl ambition was ever present, but… she wasn't _entirely _unbearable. I may have even thought it cute that she rambled when she got nervous… or that she always sought me out when we had breaks from rehearsal. The woman playing Mrs. Hannigan actually freaked her out, ironically, and I thought it was funny… though I never hesitated to hide with her when the mean ole red headed lady came around._

_So… _mayb_e Rachel had her moments… and maybe I _actually_, once upon a time… kind of, sort of… liked the girl._

_It wasn't until our last performance that I was set straight. My parents had finally made it to see me perform on the last day we had the show. They were so proud of me; they came backstage to bring me flowers. Of course, that was when they saw the tiny brunette clinging to my side, hurriedly ushering me to meet her two fathers. My own father had words with me that night. He told me that I wasn't allowed to hang out with her anymore… that her fathers were sinners and that she was bred into sin. I didn't see it. Rachel was… innocent… and kind of cute in her own way. How could my father say she was a sinner?_

_I didn't ask questions, though. I only acted the way I was expected to._

_The next day Rachel Berry came up to hug me and I swiftly dumped my slushie on her head. _

_My reign of terror had begun._


	3. Moonlight Sonata

**Chapter 3 - Moonlight Sonata**

* * *

_QPOV_

"So… what are we doing this weekend?"

The crowd in the hallway was slowly thinning out as the last of the students gathered their things and headed for the exits. Quinn slowed down and did a half turn to answer the boy following behind her when she caught sight of her reflection in a darkened classroom window. She paused to fix her hair.

"Did we have plans for this weekend?" she continued to stroke her hair gently for another moment before deeming it acceptable. She threw her boyfriend a questioning glance when he didn't answer immediately.

The tall, bleach blonde gave her a one shoulder shrug, "Well, I just thought that-"

"No, you _assumed_ that I keep my weekend schedule wide open just for you… but things don't work like that with me," she started, letting the HBIC tone slip into her voice, "It's _Thursday_, Sam. If you wanted to hang out with me this weekend you should have thought about that earlier in the week. I already have plans with Santana and Brittany."

Sam was flabbergasted, "_Wha-_ For the _whole_ weekend?" He looked like she just kicked his puppy. "You don't have a _single_ night free? That means I won't get to see you until next _week!_"

"That's typically how things _go_, Sam. If you don't make _plans_ with someone, they'll make plans of their own," she started, fixing him with her infamous glare, "I am not some_ loser_ who waits around at home until her boyfriend decides he wants to see her. Next time, stay ahead of the game." Quickly regaining her composure, she continued in a much calmer tone, "Come on. We're gonna be late for Glee." With that she turned and started marching down the hallway with the blonde boy sulking behind her.

As they approached their hallway, shrill, female voices could be heard shouting from within the choir room. "Oh boy," Sam commented as they stopped just outside the door. "It's a day for PMS apparently," he mumbled under his breath.

Before Quinn could rip into him, because no way in hell was she going to let _that_ shit fly, she recognized who the voices belonged to: Rachel "Manhands" Berry and Santana. Quickly deciding he wasn't worth the effort, she walked briskly into the choir room and looked for the source of the commotion. Spotting the girls on the far side of the room, she drifted over to the piano – close enough to speak to the shouting banshees but far enough away that she wouldn't be hit by any thrown objects.

"What's going on?" she kept her voice soft thinking it would help alleviate some of the tension. She noticed that the rest of the club was standing up, but mostly crowded in front of the chairs, away from the girls… probably for good reason.

"What's going _on_-" the Latina started, "-is this _dwarf_ here getting all up in my _grill._"

Rachel huffed and Quinn couldn't help but notice the attractive flush of her cheeks and the heaving of her chest… _Eyes up, Fabray, what the hell are you doing? _She shook her head hoping to rid herself of the sudden stirring sensation just below her stomach.

"You know, Santana, I have had _enough_ of you!" the diva shouted back, surprising the on-looking blonde with the raw intensity of her voice; she was practically growling, "_All_ you do is tease me about my wardrobe or my haircut or _anything else_ that doesn't live up to your _ridiculously_ high standards, all the while calling me by absolutely _horrid_ names! Well I _won't stand for it_ any longer!"

"Alright that's _enough_," a voice suddenly shouted behind them. All the gleeks turned to see a fuming Mr. Schuester standing in the doorway, "Everyone _sit down_."

Fearing expulsion, they all quickly ducked their heads and made their way over to the chairs. Quinn sat next to Sam in the front row while Finn took the seat to her other side… of course. She could feel him glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, but she didn't acknowledge him; that was a whole other can of worms she wasn't ready to open yet. Sparing a brief glance around the rest of the group, she saw Artie and Brittany sitting on the other side of Finn while Santana, Mike, Tina, and Mercedes sat behind them. Puck and Lauren sat in the very back, apparently trying to avoid the drama. That just left one more… _Where did Rachel go?_

Before she had a chance to look further into it, she felt a presence behind her. She didn't dare look back, but she listened closely while their teacher walked around the piano. After a moment she heard a book bag drop to the floor next to her chair while the person in question grumbled under their breath. _Oh yeah, definitely Rachel_. The blonde swallowed gently, being sure to keep her expression neutral.

"I'm really disappointed in you guys," Mr. Schue's voice brought her back out of her thoughts. "I thought we were doing better after sectionals."

"We're trying, Mr. Schue," Finn's voice was soft, but his words carried to everyone.

The older gleek nodded and remained quiet for a long moment, looking them over. The silence was suffocating – she was sure he let the quiet linger just so that everyone could feel the full weight of his disappointment. By the time he spoke again, everyone was fully chided. "Your homework for this week is fairly simple," he started, "I noticed recently that some of you are having trouble moving on from past experiences." He drew out a long pause, making sure to meet every one of their gazes, "If we're going to win at regionals, we have to be one unit, one sound… So, whatever is holding you back from making that transition?" Another pause, "You need to let it go… _now_. The repetition is even showing up in your song selection… So, that is going to be your lesson for this week." He walked over to the piano to sort through some music before he spoke again, "For your homework, I want you to partner up and agree on a song that isn't your style; a song you wouldn't normally choose. You guys need to get out of your comfort zones and broaden your horizons." He stopped and turned back to face them. "Find your partner and start figuring out what song you're going to sing." Watching them for a moment longer, he then turned to head to his office. "That's it for the day."

It remained eerily silent for a moment after he left before the low murmurs started. No one was comfortable with talking at a normal volume just yet as they feared they would call upon the wrath of one Will Schuester again. When the man didn't return from his office, everyone started picking out their partners.

Quinn turned her head to Sam; their partnership was expected. As she listened, she heard the others starting to pair up as well: Brittany with Artie, Puck with Lauren, Tina with Mike, Santana with Mercedes. That just left Finn and Rachel. Quinn grimaced slightly. _My, won't that be awkward?_ Finn glanced over at the blonde and she turned her head to meet his gaze. "I guess you and Sam are…" she nodded, cutting him off. He returned the nod and gulped before looking back at Rachel.

"Relax Finn," she heard Rachel speak over her shoulder, "You and I are both adults, and I have no doubt that we can be professional about this arrangement and agree on a song that not only surpasses those of our rivals' but also compliments our inversed musical tastes quite harmoniously without having to worry about less significant matters, such as personal feelings, getting in the way."

"Um… what?"

Quinn sighed before turning to the great oaf beside her, "She said not to worry about it; she'll keep her hands and lips to herself."

"Oh."

The blonde wanted to smirk when she heard an indignant huff come from the tiny diva behind her, but instead plastered a smile on her face and steered her attention towards Sam.

"So, what song we doin'?"

* * *

_RPOV_

The last of her fellow Glee clubbers filed out of the room while she stayed behind and arranged her music on the piano. Practice today had been awkward to say the least. She and Finn had come to an agreement on their partnership, but it didn't make the whole ordeal any easier. It also didn't help matters that he was constantly looking over at Quinn when he thought she wasn't looking, only furthering her belief that there was something more to that mono kiss than they led on. The thought still bothered her, but no longer because of Finn. She was over the big lug of a boy who was even incapable of following her advanced patterns of speech… If he couldn't do that, how could she expect him to keep up with her other ambitious goals and expectations?

No, what bothered her was the Quinn of it all. Did the girl ever learn? Just last year she cheated on Finn with Puck which led to her pregnancy, sending her to the absolute bottom of the social hierarchy (even below Rachel) for nine whole months, ruining her career in Cheerios and, not to mention, her toned, youthful figure. Was she willing to make the same mistake again? Sam seemed like a pretty decent guy, not that Rachel would know, but even if that wasn't the case, the brunette was under the impression that Quinn and Finn's relationship was pretty much demolished even _before _she spilled the beans about Puck being the baby daddy… Why would Quinn want to go back to that? Does she think if she hadn't gotten pregnant, everything would have been hunky dorey between them? She just didn't see it; they had no chemistry.

Trying to shake the thoughts from her head, because the blonde's bad choices certainly weren't any concern of hers, she decided to focus on her music instead. They hadn't rehearsed any in practice today, so she fully intended to utilize the time she had left before supper on doing just that. She started to run through her warm up scales, starting slowly at first, well within her range, before going higher and higher.

She had finished with half of her warm up before she felt something. She couldn't be entirely sure, but her sixth sense was telling her that someone was watching her. She was probably just being paranoid, but the feeling didn't go away. Trying to be nonchalant, she briefly glanced around the room only to gasp when she did, in fact, find a figure standing in the doorway, hazel eyes boring into her.

"Quinn!" she gasped out, "Goodness, you startled me." The aforementioned girl slowly stepped into the room and out of the shadows of the hallway. "What are you still doing here?" the brunette eyed her advancing form warily.

The blonde merely shrugged and cast her eyes down to the floor while she wandered over to the piano bench. "What are _you_ doing here?" her tone was light and innocent enough, but it still didn't help the diva's nerves.

The shorter girl let out a breath, "Well, seeing as how we didn't get any rehearsal in today, I felt it best to stay behind and get as much practice in as I can. I can't sing much at home anymore as our neighbors have begun to threaten my fathers with a lawsuit," pausing briefly to roll her eyes, she continued, "I don't see what the problem is, if anything they're getting free entertainment. I mean, why pay to go to a theater when you get serenaded for free in your own home? They should be grateful," the brunette eventually stopped when she noticed the beginnings of a smirk crossing the taller girl's features. She took a moment to gather her bearings before speaking again; she really didn't feel like being made fun of for the tenth time that day. "So, why are you here?"

If the blonde heard her question, she didn't make any indication. "So, you stay after school every day to practice?" Quinn had yet to look over at her again. The brunette watched as the former Cheerio sat down on the piano bench and proceeded to open the fall-board, exposing the keys to the fluorescent lights of the classroom.

Though her tone was still light, Rachel didn't trust it. Taking her eyes off the blonde, she started gathering up her music, fearing a quick escape would soon be needed.

"Yes, I'm afraid, for now, this is my only choice as my own house isn't an option," Rachel started and immediately bit down on her lip, hoping to bite back the ramble that wanted to escape… she knew how amusing the blonde found her nerves, the _sadist_, and she didn't want to give her any ammo. The tight coiling in her stomach made it nearly impossible, though. Quinn freaked her out. And this quiet, laid back demeanor she seemed to have picked up from somewhere only made the diva's Fight or Flight instincts kick in; it was like the calm before the storm. Before she could stop herself, the words escaped her like word vomit; she couldn't shut up, "I have presented the option of sound proofing my bedroom to my parents, who have taken it into consideration, but there are several factors to consider, mostly cost, but I have made a list of alternative solutions and this one… I believe… is…"

Her words slowed down before her voice eventually trailed off completely. She stared blankly down at the music in her hands before she recognized the soft reverberations off the walls were actually coming from the piano and not her own imagination… Her head jerked over to see that Quinn's fingers had found their way to the keys and were slowly tapping out the beginning chords to a classical song. Rachel recognized it almost immediately. It was Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata"; a slow, but romantic piece. She remembered reading somewhere that he had written it for a student he fell in love with.

Rachel stood enchanted by the sight before her while the former Head Bitch in Charge played out the romantic song with ease. Before she realized it, the brunette had made her way over to the girl and now stood at her shoulder, watching the deft and graceful fingers flit over the keys with rapt fascination. She felt her heart start to move, slowly beating in time with the music as Quinn moved through each measure of the song as if it were as simple as breathing.

When the song came to an end, the breath she didn't know she was holding suddenly left her in a soft _'whoosh'_ as the final note sounded. Neither girl moved or said anything; they simply froze, feeling the piece for what it was. It was only after Quinn let her fingers fall from the piano onto her lap that Rachel spoke. "I didn't know you could play…" her voice was soft, hoping not to disturb the peace that settled over them.

The ex-Cheerio merely nodded. Rachel was flabbergasted. All this time she knew the girl and never realized how much talent she possessed. "Where did you learn to play like that?"

The silence stretched between them and the brunette started to think that was all she was going to get from the statuesque blonde. When she opened her mouth to speak again, soft words cut her off, "My parents had me take lessons when I was a girl."

Rachel nodded even though the former Cheerio couldn't see her. She swallowed thickly at the strange gravitation she suddenly felt. The room was empty but it felt so full, almost suffocating with the tension that fell between them. She found herself wanting to touch the blonde curls right there in front of her, wanting to stroke the girl's hair back away from her face so that she could look into those hazel eyes and find the answers to the universe. She gulped again as her hand started to lift, making the choice for her.

In the next moment a swift breeze greeted her as the blonde fled the bench, confidently strutting back towards the exit while she called over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow, _RuPaul._"

Rachel's hand was frozen midair while she stared down at the empty piano bench blankly… the only evidence that anyone had actually been there being the subtle perfume that still lingered in the air. She blinked once… twice… before finally snapping out of it and looking towards the door and the empty hallway lying just beyond it.

…_What… the fuck?_

_[some time later]_

Rachel travelled home in a zombie like state. She didn't stay to practice; there was no point. How could she sing after that? It's not like the girl harassed her in any way, but she didn't know what to make of what _did_ happen. Lost in thought, she had pulled into her driveway and gotten her stuff out of the car before she realized there was someone waiting for her on the front porch.

"What? You're not happy to see me? I thought you'd be thrilled."

The brunette's head shot up to find her fair haired friend grinning widely at her. "Kurt!" They both laughed and embraced each other immediately. "What are you doing here? I wanted to call, but I wasn't sure if it was too soon. I mean, we did just have a lonely hearts club session last week."

The boy laughed, "Oh please, feel free to call me as much as your little heart desires." His face fell and took on a mildly over dramatic expression of trauma, "I mean it, _please_ do. I'm surrounded by boys _all _the time, and although it's a nice change, I still need my weekly girly fix." Rachel laughed at that. He smiled, "_And_ I'm here for an impromptu girl's night. I also invited Mercedes but she was otherwise occupied for this evening. _Sooo_, I was thinking Funny Girl while we paint each other's nails?"

The tiny diva threw her head back and gave an over exaggerated groan. "_Please_. That sounds amazing. I could definitely use a girl's night after the day I had." She moved past her friend to let them into the house.

"Uh oh, sounds like drama," he sighed wistfully, "Oh, how I miss you divas."

Rachel scoffed and playfully hit him on the shoulder while she led the way upstairs, "Ex_cuse_ me, I happen to think I've gotten better."

He laughed along with her, "True that." He set his book bag down just inside her bedroom door before glancing around, "How about you get the movie started while I get the equipment and you can tell me all about this long day you had."

Rachel shrugged as she dropped her bag and headed over to her stack of movies, "It's nothing really."

"Is it Finn?" his voice was soft.

"Partly," she sighed, "No, not really."

She heard a choked sound of amusement come from behind her before the boy spoke up, "Oh really? I can't remember the last time it _wasn't _about Finn."

Picking up random cases, she stared blankly at the covers, willing the right movie to just pop into her hand, "Well, he ended things last week… indefinitely."

"Oh Rach, I'm so sorry."

She shook her head quickly, turning around to lean against her dresser while sorting through a stack of movies in her hand, "It's fine. It's actually more than fine… and that's what is so confusing."

"Explain."

Rachel chewed on her lip for a minute before letting it all out. "I don't know, it's like… it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would." She glanced up to see Kurt giving her a questioning look from his spot on her bed. "Ridiculous as it sounds, a part of me almost felt relieved that I had a definite answer. Not that I was _happy_ he ended it, mind you, but… I didn't feel necessarily heartbroken either." She sighed and stared hard at her movies. "It almost makes me wonder if I ever loved him… or if I just loved the idea of a boyfriend."

"That _is_ a tricky question," Kurt looked thoughtful. "You've skipped over Funny Girl at least twice already. It's close to the bottom."

Rachel groaned before going through the stack again and pulling out the movie in question. As she turned to put it in the DVD player, Kurt spoke again. "So what happened today to get you all flustered like this? If it's not Finn, I have to say I'm utterly clueless."

The diva let out a long breath while she waited for the disc to load. She wasn't really sure what all she wanted to tell the fair skinned boy. "It's Quinn," she finally spoke softly.

"Quinn?" his voice rose a few decibels. "What happened? Last I remembered you two were doing your best to pretend the other didn't exist."

"Yeah," she started, trying to form her chaotic thoughts into words, "And that worked for a while, but now we're at this… crossroads… I don't really know. I almost miss the days when she threw slushies and yelled obscene things at me. That was easier to grasp."

"Okay, come here," the tiny diva looked over to see the boy patting the spot next to him on the bed. She slowly trudged over there, accepting defeat. "You understand that what you're saying makes absolutely _no sense_, right? Why would you want the old Quinn back?"

"Because the _old_ Quinn made sense!" she shouted immediately. "I didn't have to question how she felt about me because she made her utter contempt for me known. But now we have this… somewhat _mild_ Quinn, and she… attempts to be civil with me." She tried to think about what it could mean, but there was no answer.

"And civility is… bad?"

"It's not _bad_, but it just-"

"Just what?"

"It makes me… _feel _weird."

Things were silent for a moment before she looked over at her friend. He simply raised an amused brow at her. "It… makes you _feel_ weird?"

"_Yes_," she said exasperatedly, staring him down, willing him to understand. "I mean, I've always been terrified of her, but now there's this weird nervousness that settles in my stomach and turns me into a hot _mess!_ I have no idea what to _expect_ from the girl; I don't know if I should _run_ when I see her or try to _talk _to her… And her strange, cryptic smirks don't make things _any _easier."

The boy chewed on his lip for a moment while he mulled over her words. "Rachel," he finally started, "I really don't know what to tell you except you should just let this happen." She interrupted him with a groan. "No no no, listen to me," he called for her attention. When she finally met his gaze again, he continued, "I'm just gonna say I have an instinct about this, okay? If blondie is trying to be civil then let her… maybe it could lead to something good."

She stared at him incredulously, "You honestly think she and I could be friends?"

He watched her for a long moment contemplating what he should say. The tiny diva looked so lost in that moment, and he only wanted her to be happy. He waited a minute before choosing his words carefully.

"Or maybe something better," he finished with a smile.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys. Though I definitely got more alerts than actual reviews, it was still a pleasant surprise. I hope y'all like it. I'm afraid I won't be able to write much -during- the week as I have classes. I actually have two projects I need to be working on now, so I'll try to get the next update to you as soon as I can.**

Let me know what you think!


	4. Rachel's Diary

[Rachel's Diary]

_Quinn Fabray._

_The bane of my existence._

_Though I suppose I should thank her – for if it hadn't been for her teasing and total lack of regard for my feelings, I suppose I never would have really recognized my potential to become a star. It was, after all, only after she crushed my hopes of ever having a friend that I threw myself into my dream of becoming a triple threat- singing, dancing, and acting- phenomenon who's legacy would live on through the ages much like that of my idol, Barbra Streisand. If it hadn't been for one Ms. Quinn Fabray, I never would have devoted my every waking moment to perfecting my talent as a Broadway singer, and I never would have accepted that I would, for possibly the first half of my life, be alone. It would only be after I achieved stardom that people like __her__ would realize what a mistake they made for treating me like their old trash and fight for my attention._

_That was my motivation._

_When I first felt that artificially sweetened icy goodness drip over my hair to cover my face, I was astounded. I looked up into those cold, unforgiving hazel eyes in hopes for answers, but I found none. She simply dropped her cup and marched away while the rest of the kids outside of school howled at my expense like the idiots they are. I had never felt so foolish before in my life. Why had she done that? Of course, I knew we weren't best friends… A title like "best" friend takes time, effort, and a lot of trust (I had already started making a list of steps we could take to reach such a point). She and I had only been hanging out for the previous month, getting ready for our performance. However brief a time it was, though, I had devoted myself one hundred and ten percent to one Quinn Fabray in the hopes that one day she may be able to return the affection._

_I should have known better._

_Even back then when we were… how old were we? 8… 9? Even back then, Quinn had this adept ability to keep her emotions in check. It was striking really to behold, for everyone else at that age was playful and hyperactive… especially me. My fathers had always encouraged me to be true to myself, to embrace my emotions, while Quinn seemed to be learning the opposite lessons at home. She would still play on the playground, of course, but I don't think I ever once heard her laugh… or smile for that matter. It was only after our brief stint in the musical production of Annie that I realized how beautiful Quinn Fabray truly is. I never made her laugh, but she seemed to find me amusing… and I made her smile quite frequently._

_It startled me the first time I saw it. I believe I was sharing with her the importance of having scheduled playtimes and light snacks in order to maintain a healthy diet when I looked up at her… I stopped mid-ramble when her amused smirk turned into a full blown smile. It was striking. I think I was stunned speechless for at least a few minutes before I regained my bearings. It was almost as if everything that was holding the girl down, everything that was happening at home simply vanished for a few precious seconds and she let me see her… all of her… through that one shining moment when her eyes were so light I thought I'd never stop staring at them. Of course when she noticed I was staring, the moment immediately came to an end. Her guard went back into place and she started talking about something else entirely. It really was strange to see someone so young act so old._

_And that's the way she grew up. The only difference is now I'd say she's even _more_ capable of schooling her features to a mask of indifference. I haven't seen her smile, really smile, in years. She's learned how to fake them, yes, but the only time I see anything even close to resembling a real smile is when she has that stupid smirk on her face… and even that doesn't really give away a whole lot. The only real emotion that has come from the girl in the last seven or eight years, at least towards me, has been anger. She has absolutely no problem sharing that emotion. _

_And that's what I grew up with; the belief that Quinn Fabray detested my very existence. This was the norm; this is what I was used to - the slushies, the name calling. So of _course_ I'm going to have a hard time with this new Quinn. I wouldn't actually go as far as calling her new; she's still the same person she always has been. She's still intimidating… but now she's more calm… at least around me. _

That _is why this situation is so infuriating. Why isn't she yelling at ME anymore? When was the last time __I__ was slushied? I can't honestly expect that the girl has grown soft after all these years. I could say that motherhood has changed her for the better, but why didn't she change for everyone? I may be nonexistent in her world, but that doesn't mean I don't hear what goes on in hers. I still see her barking at Santana and Sam and anyone else who gets in her way; she's still the HBIC… but she hasn't really lashed out at me in a while. Maybe I just haven't done anything to annoy her lately… not that she really needed an excuse before._

_*insert dramatic sigh here* It is for that reason and that reason alone that I am going to listen to Kurt. Not because I think she's actually changed, but because I know she's up to something. I just have to figure out what it is. _

_So, I'll play this game with you, Quinn Fabray, but it's only to get close enough to figure out what you're really up to._

_It's __on__._

_

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry it's not a lot. I'm sure y'all were expecting something more. I planned it out this way, though, and while I don't have a lot of time to write this week, this segment seemed short enough to type out real quick. So, I'll leave y'all with this. I've started working on Chapter 5 but I have no idea when I'll get around to finishing it. Thank you for your patience :)**


	5. Behind Enemy Lines

**A/N - Sorry for the delay, guys. If any of you are in school, you'll know that midterms can be a bitch, especially in college. I've been busy for the last couple of weeks and will be busy again this week. Luckily spring break is next week so maybe I can get back into my normal writing schedule then. Thanks for your patience. And thank you, Ms. SaneTwin1_2, for alllll of your encouragement and help with this story :D**

**Chapter 5 - Behind Enemy Lines********

* * *

**

"Quinn, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Practice wouldn't start for a few minutes yet, but everyone was already there. The boys were off rough housing in the front of the class while the larger group of girls watched on with detached interest. The blonde sat off by herself at the end of the room, doodling something in her notebook, so the brunette made her move, knowing this would be the perfect – possibly _only _– opportunity to catch her alone.

The girl in question didn't raise her head to acknowledge the brunette, just quirked an eyebrow while she continued working on her masterpiece, which Rachel could now see was a detailed cartoon of Coach Silvester with horns and a pitchfork. "And what, pray tell, do we have to talk about?" her tone made it clear she had no interest in what the diva had to say.

The shorter of the two took a few deep breaths, readying herself before taking a seat next to the former Cheerio. _You can do this, you can do this_. "Well after much consideration and an enormous amount of lists, mostly pros and cons – the cons greatly outweighing the pros in this instance, but I'm willing to overlook it – I have decided that, for this assignment, it would definitely be a challenge, but also a _brilliant _idea, to try something out of the norm and pair with someone unexpected," she shrugged as an afterthought, "And I'm always up for a challenge."

Silence.

The brunette waited patiently for the blonde's reaction. After a moment the girl sighed and paused in her drawing, "I'm sorry, you lost me after-" she stopped when she glanced over at the diva sitting anxiously at the edge of her seat. She let out a breath of a laugh before returning her attention to her notebook, "Scratch that, you never had me."

The diva tried to choke down her frustrated sigh. _Don't let her discourage you, you were expecting this_. "What I'm _trying _to say here, Quinn, is I think you and I should partner together for this assignment."

_That_ got her attention. Her head didn't lift, but there was a definite freeze as the pen stopped moving across her paper. The brunette stopped breathing entirely as her heart pounded away in her chest. She suddenly felt the need to rub her clammy palms over her skirt to dry them. _Okay, so maybe this wasn't a good idea._

After a long, dreaded moment of silence, the blonde's lips finally parted. "I'm sorry… but it sounded as if you wanted me to partner with _you_-" there was a definite disgusted emphasis on that syllable, "as opposed to my boyfriend?" Her head finally lifted as she pinned the dark haired girl with narrowed eyes, "I must've misunderstood you."

Rachel gulped softly. "There is no misunderstanding… I just thought with the assignment being what it is – to step out of our comfort zones and do something not expected of us – it would certainly give us a definite edge if we did our duet together."

Another intense pause.

The brunette slowly cowered back into her seat, putting some distance between her and the, what seemed to be _livid_, blonde as the ex-Cheerio continued to stare at her with a look of mixed disbelief, disgust, and… curiosity? "You _do_ realize that would mean the two of us being in a room together… alone?"

She nodded quickly, "I have thought of that, yes, but I don't see what the problem is. We can sit in a room together for an hour or so without killing each other. All I ask is that you consid-"

"Hell no."

This time she didn't bother holding back her exasperated sigh. "You're being ridiculous, Quinn. What Mr. Schue said is right… We'll never win at regionals unless we can get along. It makes perfect sense that we, being the biggest rivals in this room, would have to be the first to take that step-"

"You mean _aside_ from you and Santana?" she interrupted pointedly.

The brunette froze. She made a good point. "_Yeah_, I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet," she shook her head quickly before returning her attention to the blonde. "It won't kill you, Quinn, just think about how much we'll be helping. Once everyone else sees that we've… 'buried the hatchet' as they say, they'll _also_ be willing to move on from past transgressions to form one single, cohesive unit. It's not only beneficial to our winning at regionals but also to the survival of our group as a whol-"

"_Ugh_, fine."

"Please let me finish, I _strongly_ believe that-" she paused, "Wait, what?"

The blonde rolled her eyes before returning her attention to her drawing, "I said fine, Berry, just _please _stop talking."

The brunette continued to stare at the blonde, mouth gaping, for several moments before her mind finally caught up to her ears. "…Really?"

"_Yes_, really," she groaned out. "I'll talk to Sam after rehearsal," she added more calmly.

A grin broke out across the tiny diva's face. "This is exciting! I already have so many ideas for us to choose from-"

"Yeah, can you go now?" she interrupted grouchily, "My skin is starting to itch from being so close to your argyle."

Rachel smiled regardless; she would not let the blonde's insults get her down now. "_Thank_ you, Quinn, you won't regret this," she stated before getting up to move back to her seat.

"Already do," came the mumbled response over her shoulder.

"Alright alright, everyone, settle down," their instructor finally arrived, "Find yours seats and let's get started!"

* * *

"You're _what?_"

Sigh.

"You heard me, Sam. I'm going to do my duet with-" she stopped to grimace momentarily, "_Berry_." Shaking her head, she continued to pull books out of her locker, "You'll just have to find someone else to sing prepubescent boy songs with."

"You _loved _it when I sang Baby today! You were _smiling!_"

"No, I was _cringing_ because I thought I might _die_ of _embarrassment_," slamming her locker shut, she turned to glare him down, "_What_ were you _thinking?_"

"I was _thinking_ that I needed to show that jolly green giant his place! He was _all over you_ during practice."

"Ugh, _enough_," she groaned, "For the last time there is _nothing_ going on between me and _Finn!_"

"Then why is he always staring at you, huh?"

"_How should I know?_" she snapped before turning to head down the desserted hallway though she continued to talk with the boy scuffling along behind her. "I think this switch will actually be good for all those involved; you and Finn definitely need to work out your unresolved issues, and _leave me the hell out of it!_" She swung around, fixing him with her glare again, "I am _tired_ of being _constantly_ smothered in between you two. If you can't handle me talking to other guys, then maybe we have no business dating!" With that she turned around and marched down the hallway, _alone_ this time.

"Quinn!" he shouted after her, "I'm sorry!"

"Whatever," she mumbled under her breath, thankful that he decided not to run after her. She had enough on her plate to deal with today; she didn't feel like prolonging that little spat any longer. The only thing that could make this day any worse would be-

"Quinn?"

Ugh… _that._

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself before swinging around to face the star hunchback, er, um… quarterback. "Can I help you with something, Finn?"

"Did I just hear you and the blonde Bieber fighting?" she could tell there was a mild note of concern there; he was _trying_ to sound concerned at least, but he was also clearly pleased with himself.

"Is that really any of your business?" she made to turn and storm off but he stepped closer and took her arm, going way past the personal space boundary as he ducked down a little to whisper to her.

"I'd like to think so. I care about you, you know?"

She turned to fix her piercing hazel eyes on him, not perturbed in the least that their faces were only inches apart. "That's sweet," she gave him an exaggerated smile before turning it into a scowl, "Now let me go."

He straightened up and dropped his hand, probably flustered that she didn't seem to be falling for his so-called charm. He gulped, "Well at least let me give you a ride home."

At this she grimaced.

"That's not necessary. I have… other means of transportation."

"Um, what?"

She rolled her eyes before moving towards the exit again. "Someone is giving me a lift."

"Oh… who?"

She ignored him, deciding to take a different route; it would be better tell him this now and get it over with. "So look, I know you're not going to like this, but it's probably for the best," she paused just by the door to turn and meet his eyes, "You and Sam are partnering together for this week's assignment." She pushed through the exit and hurried out as if she could possibly escape what was bound to come next.

"_WHAT?_"

She sighed. Well, it was a valiant effort. She slowed down so he could catch up. "I've made… other arrangements, so now you and Sam are left without a partner. I really don't care what you do, you can switch with someone else if you want, but we only have a few days left." She paused on the sidewalk before heading out into the nearly abandoned parking lot. "I suggest you high tail it back in there, find Sam, and reach some common ground. You're already behind."

"What? I don't understand. You can't expect me to work with him! He hates me!"

"Because you keep making advances on his _girlfriend_," she shot back. He wilted a little.

"Hey, that's not fair," he gave her his big, dopey, puppy dog pout, "I wasn't the only one there, you know. You kissed me first."

She groaned in defeat, "I _know_, Finn, I know. And I know we need to talk about that, but can it wait?"

"I just don't understand. What are _you_ doing for the assignment? Who's your partner?"

"I…"

"Quinn! Over here!"

They both looked to see who had called out to her, but Quinn's stomach already dropped, recognizing the singer's voice from a mile away. She turned to spot the tiny brunette waving wildly at her from her car… as if she wouldn't have spotted the dwarf in the almost empty parking lot.

"Uhh…"

"_Yeeeah,_" she drew the syllable out before turning to glance at him one more time, "I'll see you tomorrow." At that, she turned to head over to the overexcited hobbit, figuring he would be frozen there for at least a few more minutes wondering what the hell just happened. She was only a few steps away when he finally uttered a response:

"Did hell just freeze over?"

* * *

"A gold star, Berry? …_Really?_"

The brunette frowned over her shoulder while she opened her bedroom door with the gold star and name plate on it. She quickly moved inside to drop her book bag in the nearby chair, "It's a metaphor, Quinn. I use a gold star whenever I write my name becau-"

"_Ugh_, yes… we _all _know," she pushed by the brunette and fully entered the room, "_Please_ don't repeat the story."

The munchkin huffed behind her, and, if the blonde wasn't mistaken, she could've sworn she heard the girl stamp her foot like a child as well. Quinn held her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from chuckling out loud. She decided to distract herself by looking around the room instead. Her eyes glazed over the many movie posters and records scattered around her room, passed over the elliptical machine and over to her bed. Overall it wasn't _too _horrible looking. "Well," she started when she had finished her inspection, "I have to say I expected it to be entirely pink." She smirked over her shoulder at the dark haired girl still standing in the entrance.

The diva rolled her eyes before moving to shut the door. "When have you ever seen me wear pink?" The blonde chortled at that. Rachel decided to ignore her while she picked up her notebook and made her way over to the bed. She flipped through some pages and started pulling out sheet music, all the while keeping an eye on her guest. The former Cheerio was still perusing her room and not paying her any mind. It irritated the shorter girl. She huffed a few times before deciding the blonde was never going to focus her attention on the task at hand. _I guess I'll just start_. "So, I was looking through some of my music and making a list of songs I would typically sing. I figured we'd first have to decide what genres would generally define us before we can pick a song that would be outside of our comfort zones…" she looked up and sighed. "_Quinn?_"

"Mhmm, right," the blonde started before making her way over to the bed. "So, what was going on between you and S the other day?" Her hazel eyes finally found purchase on the small diva and the brunette was rendered momentarily breathless… _God, her eyes are so green._ She found herself trying to count how many seconds of how many minutes she'd gone without staring into those emerald eyes… before she noticed Quinn's expression had turned curious at her lack of response.

_Shit. Focus Berry._

Rachel quickly shook the thoughts from her head so she could get a hold of herself. Once her head was cleared, she finally registered what the blonde had asked. "Santana? What do you mean?"

The ex-Cheerio gave a half shrug before lowering her eyes to the bedspread, reaching out to shuffle through some of Rachel's sheet music. "Yesterday in the choir room… I only caught the end of it, but you two were shouting at each other like wild banshees."

The diva gasped, "I _beg_ your pardon! I know it was _very _unladylike for me to react the way I did, but I do not believe I was so far gone that I, in any way, resembled a… a banshee?"

The blonde smirked, "It's an expression."

The dark haired girl scoffed, "Well, whatever it is, I happen to think I controlled myself very well considering Santana's behavior as of late." She shook her head, "As for your question, she was just being her usual, crass self, and I finally had enough. She's no longer a Cheerio; she's no longer _anything_. She has no right to treat me that way."

"She didn't have the right when she _was _a Cheerio," the other girl muttered, picking up a particular piece of music and studying it.

"What?" the brunette asked, her breath suddenly catching in her throat while she watched the blonde; her hair falling slightly to frame her face and Rachel found her eyes suddenly drawn to Quinn's supple lips, waiting for her to speak again.

"Nothing," she spoke quietly before sighing, "So, what song we singin'?" She fixed her hazel eyes on the shorter girl again. Anything the brunette may or may not have heard was no longer up for discussion.

The brunette gulped softly and brought her thoughts back to business. She picked up her notebook and placed it over to where Quinn could see it. "Well, as I was saying before, I've made a list of songs I would normally sing. As you can see, I'm pretty boxed into the genre of Broadway music, _of course_, and also pop." She shrugged at this, "I know you are also a fan of pop and maybe some of the classics." Raising her eyes then, she regarded the blonde carefully, "So, what kind of songs were you thinking about doing?"

"Hmm," the blonde thought pensively before reclining back on Rachel's head board and spreading out her legs in front of her. "What about Cover Girl?"

The brunette frowned and started looking through her sheet music again. "…Do you mean Material Girl?"

"Nuh uh," the blonde watched the diva silently from her spot on the bed. "Or how about Champion?"

_Flip flip flip_. "Um, the Kanye song?"

"No," the other girl continued. "Supermodel is also good, or maybe… _Jealous of My Boogie?_"

Sigh. "Quinn."

"Yes?"

The brunette finally looked up to see the cleverly hidden mirth swimming in the hazel eyes that she couldn't seem to stop thinking about. Quinn's barely contained amusement was all too clear to her now. She dropped the sheet music on the bedspread and met her gaze evenly, "Those are all songs by Rupaul," she stated straight forward.

The blonde threw her head back and laughed heartily before quickly quieting down and chuckling softly under her breath while she slapped her own thigh at her joke.

_At least she's pleased with herself_, the diva grumbled silently, but pretty soon found herself smiling as well. It wasn't funny by any means, but seeing the blonde so carefree sent a jolt right to her heart. _That smile…_ It had been a while. Rachel sat there quietly adoring the vision before her while Quinn slowly composed herself again. Once the chuckles escaped her, she looked up to find the petite diva gazing at her with a faint smile and intense chocolate eyes. She gulped, quickly losing all traces of amusement.

"What?"

That seemed to snap the smaller girl out of it. She tensed, realizing that she'd just been blatantly staring at the other girl, and returned her eyes to her sheet music. She shrugged lightly before answering, "You should smile more." She paused to meet the former Cheerio's gaze again, offering her a small grin, "You're really beautiful when you smile."

The blonde's mouth fell open slightly before she hurriedly snapped it back shut, speechless. _Not laughing now, are ya?_ The brunette tried to fight back the smirk that wanted to cross her features while she watched the HBIC suddenly become fascinated with the hands resting in her lap. _Curiouser and curiouser._ She continued to study her for a moment before she noticed the faint hue that had suddenly rose from nowhere to color the blonde's neck and cheeks. _Is she..?_ The petite diva could honestly say she had never seen the almighty Quinn Fabray blush. Before she could analyze it, though, the blonde suddenly cleared her throat and sat up straighter, reaching over to pick up some music.

"So what kind of song do you think we should do?"

And just like that, the moment was over. Rachel felt a pang of jealously and irritation that Quinn could school her features so easily. Hell, her blush had already almost completely receded only seconds later. The diva huffed quietly and looked down at the music as well, accepting that she would never have an honest, straight forward conversation with her more reserved counterpart. She decided to move her focus to more prominent matters.

"Well, since we both fall into the pop genre, I'd say the first obvious choice would be a country song?"

The ex-Cheerio's head snapped up at that with a look of horror coloring her features.

Rachel laughed before tossing that music aside.

"_Yeah_, I don't think I could do that either…"


End file.
